I definitely could not have said it better. I have loved hearing his guy speak, teach, and motivate. Great article he posted in the Huffington Post.
Steven Covey
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-r-covey/a-third-alternative-to-th_b_919211.html
Monday, August 15, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Campaign Spending Reform
Okay, I am on my soap box again about campaign spending. Not that I have seen anything in the media about it again, it is just that I am hearing about everyone gearing up for re-election and the like and know that it is going to be a media blitz again.
I would really like to get a Bill submitted to Washington that would completely reform how we go about allowing candidates to campaign. I have posted about this before:
http://kiss-politics.blogspot.com/2010/10/campaign-reform-well-where-are.html
http://kiss-politics.blogspot.com/2010/10/campaigning-what-crock.html
I have long thought that the way we have our campaign laws have no real effect on the problem that I see.
Issues:
First of all, set the amount that can be spent to a reasonable amount. Let's say $25,000. I know that there will be a lot of politicians that will say that, it cannot be done for that, well here is how I propose that it is taken care of.
Third, each candidate would be able to get additional money from the party they are associated with (up to a limited amount, say $100,000) for additional campaign needs or to put toward their programs as they see fit for those candidates that the party feels has their best interest in mind. once they are the only candidate that will run on that party ticket for that position.
In this process it would really be up to the Party that the candidate is associated with to pay the additional that might be needed to go all the way, but it would be in an amount that is not obscene but reasonable. The 25K would be there for a person to run to be a party nominated candidate. In each case though, there would be an equal playing field for the campaign. Since each candidate would have a very finite amount of airtime and funds, they would need to get creative on the best use and the bast way to get their message across. Instead of a process that rewards the person that can spend the most, it would reward the person that has the best ability to make the most from very little. I would much rather see that in a candidate than the ability to spend and spend. We would also get a chance to see them in action, and of course the media could report on progress of programs and projects, so those candidates with the programs making headlines could get more airtime, but the media would have to be kept in check to make certain that they are reporting on the facts and outcomes, and not hearsay and conjecture, or because they are being paid under the table by the candidate or the political party (campaign watchdogs to keep this in check).
This in my humble opinion could work... yes there needs to be more thought in all of the situations that could come up and how to handle those, but it is a starting point and could have the kinks worked out.
Sure would be nice that in the new Presidential Election coming up that we would hear of the candidates accomplishments, and how they are actually fixing the problems, rather than ad after ad on how the other guy sucks.
Let me know your thoughts
I would really like to get a Bill submitted to Washington that would completely reform how we go about allowing candidates to campaign. I have posted about this before:
http://kiss-politics.blogspot.com/2010/10/campaign-reform-well-where-are.html
http://kiss-politics.blogspot.com/2010/10/campaigning-what-crock.html
I have long thought that the way we have our campaign laws have no real effect on the problem that I see.
Issues:
- Only those that are rich or very well connected get elected - in order to get elected you have to know someone, or have a lot of money to spend on barraging the public into knowing your name.
- Too much time is wasted on negative campaigning - most voters really have no idea what the candidates actually can do to fix problems, only that the other candidate is bad for ___ and ___ reasons.
- The public has no real way of telling really who could get things done or who is just blowing smoke.
First of all, set the amount that can be spent to a reasonable amount. Let's say $25,000. I know that there will be a lot of politicians that will say that, it cannot be done for that, well here is how I propose that it is taken care of.
- Each candidate gets a Bus and a support vehicle to tour the country, these are provided and so much in gas to get around.
- Each candidate gets a few central locations to debate the issues in front of potential voters in each of the states (could be multiple depending on the population). Each candidate has dates that they are to present their ideas and solutions.
- Media companies need to provide a set amount of airtime that is available to each candidate for actual campaign ads. In turn then the candidates need to be wise with their airtime and make the best use of it. This amount should be set and all candidates have the same amount. Also, media companies would cover all debates in their entirety without commentating, only coverage of the event, and verifying accuracy of the comments made by the candidates.
Third, each candidate would be able to get additional money from the party they are associated with (up to a limited amount, say $100,000) for additional campaign needs or to put toward their programs as they see fit for those candidates that the party feels has their best interest in mind. once they are the only candidate that will run on that party ticket for that position.
In this process it would really be up to the Party that the candidate is associated with to pay the additional that might be needed to go all the way, but it would be in an amount that is not obscene but reasonable. The 25K would be there for a person to run to be a party nominated candidate. In each case though, there would be an equal playing field for the campaign. Since each candidate would have a very finite amount of airtime and funds, they would need to get creative on the best use and the bast way to get their message across. Instead of a process that rewards the person that can spend the most, it would reward the person that has the best ability to make the most from very little. I would much rather see that in a candidate than the ability to spend and spend. We would also get a chance to see them in action, and of course the media could report on progress of programs and projects, so those candidates with the programs making headlines could get more airtime, but the media would have to be kept in check to make certain that they are reporting on the facts and outcomes, and not hearsay and conjecture, or because they are being paid under the table by the candidate or the political party (campaign watchdogs to keep this in check).
This in my humble opinion could work... yes there needs to be more thought in all of the situations that could come up and how to handle those, but it is a starting point and could have the kinks worked out.
Sure would be nice that in the new Presidential Election coming up that we would hear of the candidates accomplishments, and how they are actually fixing the problems, rather than ad after ad on how the other guy sucks.
Let me know your thoughts
Monday, August 8, 2011
Alright, I have to make a post!
I am sooo sick of hearing Democrats are doing this, Republicans are doing that, Tea Party this, and that! You know, I really don't give a crap about what party the politician is associated with, I know of those that I voted for that got elected, I expect them to work to make the country better, not sit there and play the blame game! Grow up and be adults, get the job done like smart people, and if not, let's clean house and put people in there that can get the job done regardless of how long they have been in politics. I am almost thinking now that maybe it would be better to just remove 1/2 and replace, then after 2 years, remove the other half, and by that point could almost start over.
Why is it so freaking hard for those in Washington to just put the petty differences aside and roll up their sleeves and get something worthwhile done up there? I really hate to think that they are only concerned about their re-election possibilities and so are not willing to make the hard choices and make things work. If you fix it, we will vote you back in... Period!!
Now I know that this financial and economic crisis that we are in is not something that can be easily fixed. It has been band-aided for years now cause each president does not want to be the one to pull the band-aid off and deal with the pain and unsightly mess that is under there, but in order for us to remain a great country, we have to make this happen now, we cannot let it keep festering, and try and just cover it up.
I am one that really feels that we have to do both cut spending, and raise taxes. It is a double whammy, and I know that it will cause mass hysteria for a little bit (because the media feels they need to over dramatize the real issues and the outcomes), but after a little bit of pain, and dealing with the unsightly mess, we can begin to really work on the issue piece by piece and get the healing started. Even a kid in HS can tell you that a business will go out of business if you spend more than you bring in, and cannot grow, if you have not been frugal before and now have the reserves to capitalize on opportunities. As a nation we really have no reserves, we are in debt up to our eyeballs and just like the banking industry in this country, are looking for a bailout, a reset button, and do over to get us back in line with where we need to be. Well, just like almost every American that has been going through hard times, there is no reset button in life, there is no bailout for us normal people, and I think that Washington has forgotten about reality.
Would any of you seriously invest in a company that has been in debt, going farther in debt each day, brings in less money than it is spending, and has a management team that can't get anything done? It is no wonder the countries credit score was downgraded. I am surprised we even have the credit rating we do now... If it was any normal business, we would be out of business already, and if for some reason was clinging to life, we would have a D rating if not worse.
No one likes to hear about increase in taxes, no one like to hear about programs getting cut, but unfortunately we have prolonged the inevitable for so long, that it is now going to be very painful for awhile. If we had fixed things along the way, it would have been a lot easier to bear.
I know that I don't understand everything that goes on in Washington, I am certain that I have a very limited and naive view, but sometimes simply looking at a problem in the most basic way can help to keep things focused on the right path to take. As an American, I would like to see us stop being the police force for the world, and bring the majority of our troops back home and have them take tours guarding our borders, we have a huge issue right now with illegal drug trafficking on our southern border, and I would think that a influx of full military presence with the power to patrol as if it were a hostile border would slow influx quite a bit if not stop it all together. Other countries do it all of the time, why should we be any different. I would like to see us, take the steps necessary to cut spending back to levels that are manageable. If we were not policing the world, then the cost of the Afgan and other wars would be directed back into our State and Local economies. We have to get the spending under control, that is something that has to get done, it is not something that anyone will like, and it will cause a lot of issues, but these could be temporarily limited, and as things get better, put them back in place, maybe even a little more efficient. Finally, as much as I hate to say it, I think that we need to increase the amount we pay in taxes, at least for a while till we can get everything back and working on lowering our overall debt. I know that most will say, once the government has their teeth in you and has a tax rate in place it never goes down, that might be true, but I fear terribly for my kids and what they are (if anything) going to have in the next 10 to 20 years. Increasing the tax rates by a little and removing some of the deductions would allow money to be freed up for those programs that are absolutely necessary (I know there is a lot to debate about what would be absolutely necessary).
Well, enough of my rantings, I am certain that most will feel that I just don't understand the "process"... well, from my seat... the process is busted, let's get a new one!
Why is it so freaking hard for those in Washington to just put the petty differences aside and roll up their sleeves and get something worthwhile done up there? I really hate to think that they are only concerned about their re-election possibilities and so are not willing to make the hard choices and make things work. If you fix it, we will vote you back in... Period!!
Now I know that this financial and economic crisis that we are in is not something that can be easily fixed. It has been band-aided for years now cause each president does not want to be the one to pull the band-aid off and deal with the pain and unsightly mess that is under there, but in order for us to remain a great country, we have to make this happen now, we cannot let it keep festering, and try and just cover it up.
I am one that really feels that we have to do both cut spending, and raise taxes. It is a double whammy, and I know that it will cause mass hysteria for a little bit (because the media feels they need to over dramatize the real issues and the outcomes), but after a little bit of pain, and dealing with the unsightly mess, we can begin to really work on the issue piece by piece and get the healing started. Even a kid in HS can tell you that a business will go out of business if you spend more than you bring in, and cannot grow, if you have not been frugal before and now have the reserves to capitalize on opportunities. As a nation we really have no reserves, we are in debt up to our eyeballs and just like the banking industry in this country, are looking for a bailout, a reset button, and do over to get us back in line with where we need to be. Well, just like almost every American that has been going through hard times, there is no reset button in life, there is no bailout for us normal people, and I think that Washington has forgotten about reality.
Would any of you seriously invest in a company that has been in debt, going farther in debt each day, brings in less money than it is spending, and has a management team that can't get anything done? It is no wonder the countries credit score was downgraded. I am surprised we even have the credit rating we do now... If it was any normal business, we would be out of business already, and if for some reason was clinging to life, we would have a D rating if not worse.
No one likes to hear about increase in taxes, no one like to hear about programs getting cut, but unfortunately we have prolonged the inevitable for so long, that it is now going to be very painful for awhile. If we had fixed things along the way, it would have been a lot easier to bear.
I know that I don't understand everything that goes on in Washington, I am certain that I have a very limited and naive view, but sometimes simply looking at a problem in the most basic way can help to keep things focused on the right path to take. As an American, I would like to see us stop being the police force for the world, and bring the majority of our troops back home and have them take tours guarding our borders, we have a huge issue right now with illegal drug trafficking on our southern border, and I would think that a influx of full military presence with the power to patrol as if it were a hostile border would slow influx quite a bit if not stop it all together. Other countries do it all of the time, why should we be any different. I would like to see us, take the steps necessary to cut spending back to levels that are manageable. If we were not policing the world, then the cost of the Afgan and other wars would be directed back into our State and Local economies. We have to get the spending under control, that is something that has to get done, it is not something that anyone will like, and it will cause a lot of issues, but these could be temporarily limited, and as things get better, put them back in place, maybe even a little more efficient. Finally, as much as I hate to say it, I think that we need to increase the amount we pay in taxes, at least for a while till we can get everything back and working on lowering our overall debt. I know that most will say, once the government has their teeth in you and has a tax rate in place it never goes down, that might be true, but I fear terribly for my kids and what they are (if anything) going to have in the next 10 to 20 years. Increasing the tax rates by a little and removing some of the deductions would allow money to be freed up for those programs that are absolutely necessary (I know there is a lot to debate about what would be absolutely necessary).
Well, enough of my rantings, I am certain that most will feel that I just don't understand the "process"... well, from my seat... the process is busted, let's get a new one!
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